Sour Caroline: Public support drops 31 points for Kennedy appointment

posted at 11:40 am on January 6, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

Because, you know, the people, you know, need to, you know, support the selection of, you know, Hillary’s replacement. New Yorkers haven’t completely given up on dynasty politics, though, as Andrew Cuomo becomes the beneficiary of Caroline Kennedy’s collapse (via Cuffy Meigs):

Caroline Kennedy’s popularity has suffered a “clear hit” as a result of her public campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat, while Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s positive ratings have shot up, according to a new poll.

According to Public Policy Polling, of Raleigh, N.C., 44 percent of New York State voters now say they have a less favorable opinion of Kennedy than they did before she started vying for the position. Thirty-three percent say it’s made no difference, and 23 percent report now having a more favorable opinion of her.

Cuomo now leads Kennedy 58-27 in a survey of the preferences of state voters. Among Democrats, Cuomo is ahead of Kennedy 54-34 percent; a month ago, the survey found Kennedy ahead of Cuomo by 44-23 percent among Democrats.

Does this mean Paterson won’t choose Kennedy? Not necessarily. If Paterson is convinced that Kennedy is the best candidate for the position, he has plenary authority to make the appointment. After all, Caroline Kennedy has a strong resume, consisting of … er … well … her last name?

Cuomo at least makes some sense in terms of qualifications. While being part of a two-generation dynasty, Cuomo has served in public office and won a statewide election for Attorney General. I’m no fan of his politics, but Paterson won’t be naming a Republican to the seat anyway, and Cuomo at least has some credibility.

Speaking of Republicans, Jazz Shaw thinks that Peter King might have a shot at winning the special election in 2010:

Peter King is likely the GOP’s best hope (besides Rudy Giuliani) to seize either the Governor’s office or the Senate seat in 2010. Both Paterson and – potentially – Caroline Kennedy have been suffering from “The Utica Problem” (where politicians perceived as being too much in the pocket of New York City anger the more conservative, rural upstate voters) this winter, so Republicans are sensing an opportunity. King has a long, successful record in Nassau County, and has suffered remarkably little in the way of scandal or controversy outside of his interests in Ireland’s troubles.

King also has other reasons to be interested in a new job. New York is expected to lose one House seat in the upcoming redistricting shuffle and the Congressman is one of only three remaining Republicans in the state delegation. With Democratic majorities in both chambers of the state government and the Governor’s mansion, insiders expect them to look to remove one of these few GOP seats, so King’s current job may go the way of the dodo bird. If he can raise the money for such a run, King will likely be a formidable candidate.

King has a national profile as well, which will help in fundraising. He’s about as conservative as it gets in New York, which will make him popular with grassroots organizers on the Right, especially if he goes up against Andrew Cuomo. Still, I don’t see King beating Cuomo; as much as Kennedy has a “Utica problem”, I’d expect that the Big Apple advantage Cuomo would have would be too much for King to overcome.

Giuliani would have a better chance against Cuomo or Kennedy, if he decides to run. However, the New York GOP also has George Pataki, who won statewide office three times as Governor, and probably looks even better to New Yorkers after the debacles of Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson. Maybe the GOP can convince Pataki to try his luck a fourth time.

Blowback

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Comments

I guess I need to start rooting for Kennedy. Her appointment would put that Senate seat easily within striking distance of almost any Republican. I think Cuomo Jr. could put up a better fight, at least he wouldn’t look like a carpetbagger.

Similar situation in Maryland about 6 years back when the Kennedy clan tried to buy the governorship for one of their empty suits (Kathleen, I think). Produced a rare win for a Republican in the governor’s race.

Gosh. Why are New Yorkers turning away from her? Do ‘ya think that the image presented by her supporters in the MSM and the Democratic Party did not match the reality of who she really was as displayed in her television interviews?

I sure hope that nit wit twit doesn’t get in the Senate. I love unclesmrgol’s post! Great one. The Liberal’s don’t realize what scum the Kennedy’s are. They funded the IRA years ago for chrimany sakes! They are in a lot of illegal business. And then that murderer Ted still kept his seat! A bunch of crap. Guess if you are a crook, and have a record which a lot of our Reps do have. You can be in a Government position.

Still, I don’t see King beating Cuomo; as much as Kennedy has a “Utica problem”, I’d expect that the Big Apple advantage Cuomo would have would be too much for King to overcome.

I’m not so sure about that, Ed. King is very popular in NYC in spite of the R after his name. Popular with the police and firemen as well. His tough stance against terrorism has appeal to those most closely affected by 9/11.

Sour Caroline {Fill-In ANY KennedY}: Public support drops 31 points for Kennedy appointment

– just my thoughts, “She is dumb as a rock; her father was an MLK, Jr. eavesdropper; screwed over those at the Bay of Pigs; philanderer which would make a porn star blush; and her mother was a gold-digging whore” on why “Sweet Caroline” should keep her bony a$$ out of my rights and wallet via the senate???

Am I the only one sick of this freeloading; self-styled euroweenie; elitist family; whose patriarch was one of the biggest Nazi Symps during the 1930s & 1940s and never stopped being the Boston Trash Bootlegger anti-semite he was after the war?

I always believed the only worthwhile Kennedy died in WWII. Of course, it’s possible that, had he lived and gone on to politics, he would have turned out to be just another Kennedy turd, but I’d like to think not.

Then I thought about the next four years going bad. Then I thought about the media alternatively not reporting the misery or blaming President Bush. Then I thought, that infamy has value, too. The I thought about a LOT of infamy..then I thought, oh…the heck with it!

I urged that kings and queens were dangerous. He said, then have cats. He was sure that a royal family of cats would answer every purpose. They would be as useful as any other royal family, they would know as much, they would have the same virtues and the same treacheries, the same disposition to get up shindies with other royal cats, they would be laughably vain and absurd and never know it, they would be wholly inexpensive, finally, they would have as sound a divine right as any other royal house. The worship of royalty being founded in unreason, these graceful and harmless cats would easily become as sacred as any other royalties, and indeed more so, because it would presently be noticed that they hanged nobody, beheaded nobody, imprisoned nobody, inflicted no cruelties or injustices of any sort, and so must be worthy of a deeper love and reverence than the customary human king and queen, and would certainly get it.
- Mark Twain

I am a New Yorker, born and bred.
The idea of Caroline Kennedy representing the great State of New York repulses me. This woman has no political qualifications and has done nothing in the politics of NY. Enough of the dynasties. Just because she’s a Kennedy doesn’t guarantee her a seat in the Congress.

So many others have done more for the state and would make better choices. But Patterson is a political animal and he’s worried about his own political life if he doesn’t choose Caroline. The people of NY are not interested in her. The state is in too much trouble to just get a NYTimes favorite in office.